As the follow up to my RB blog, these are the WRs I am trying to leave every draft with. Same rules apply, trying to target players every draft slot has a chance to get. So Chase, Jefferson, etc, do not count. If you pick 10th and get one of them, you need a new league.
Won’t spend a lot of time in round 2 here. We all know that in the first 2 rounds, I typically have been trying to secure a RB. But in some cases, especially in home leagues, RBs can fly off the board. So I would be content with Nico Collins, Brian Thomas Jr, or Drake London in round 2 as well. All 3 poses top 5 upside, shit, even top 1 upside l.
Tetairoa McMillan
ESPN ADP 63
Some may think, no thanks on a rookie in redraft. Are you afraid it will bottom out? I got good news. It won’t bottom out. He is the clear 1, and has an ascending QB. In the last 15 years, over 20 rookie WRs have averaged over 15 points per game in week 9 on. To me, he has the clearest path to do this. I already have loads of Tet. That sounded bad. In most cases, I will jump ADP to make sure I can get him. Round 5 is the perfect spot.
Calvin Ridley
ESPN ADP 66
You may not know this, but Ridley saw 120 targets and had 1000 yards on one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL. Cam Ward is an upgrade over anything they used a season ago. Even if Ward has some growing pains (he will). But he is already priced at his floor of WR29, and as the team’s #1 target (might be only target), he should very well be able to beat that price tag. Especially if he can score more than 4 TDs.
George Pickens
ESPN ADP 67
He is my backup this round if Ridley is gone. Dallas averaged 37 pass attempts per game last season, and with a very meh run game again, they likely do it again. He has a path to finish higher than Ridley as a # option, but Pickens is also a wildcard as a personality.
Jordan Addison
ESPN ADP 90
He is as consistent of a WR20 as there is. In fact, 2 years in, WR23/21 finishes. Around WR25 in FPPG as well. The 3 game suspension is why you even get the discount here. Take it and enjoy a very nice flex option week 4.
Others I like…
Ricky Persall (his price is going up a tad too high, though). If you can get him at 90 ADP, then it’s a slam dunk; it’s just been way earlier now.
Emeka Egbuka has a chance for a good start, but if Godwin and Evans are healthy later, it gets murky. If one goes down, it’s game on again.
Hollywood Brown is pick 158 right now. With Rice facing a very long suspension, someone has to catch passes in KC in his absence. Brown had a small sample but still garnered a 20% target share last season when he came back. If the Chiefs rebound as a whole, any WR with that share on that team, with Mahomes, will be a flex option some weeks.
